Scientific research on the potential health benefits of CBD and organic hemp oil is accelerating, and the findings are extremely promising.
Although cannabis has been part of traditional medicine for millennia, its recent resurgence is due partly to the discovery of CBD, or cannabidiol. This compound is found in high concentrations in certain strains of cannabis, and it does not produce the intoxicating effects associated with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
There's a plethora of evidence suggesting that CBD and other hemp compounds have a wide range of therapeutic properties, such as reducing pain, inflammation, anxiety, and depression and even helping people with cancer.
Scientists are currently studying CBD as a potential treatment for a wide range of conditions, and the future of hemp-derived substances looks bright as we continue to discover its impressive health benefits. Organic hemp oil is quickly becoming heralded as the health elixir of the 21st century, and as more countries legalize cannabis, we're likely to see even more research conducted on fascinating hemp compounds.
However, despite the clear potential of CBD and organic hemp oil, the regulatory landscape surrounding cannabis substances is still somewhat hazy. Although CBD is federally legal in the United States, the CBD industry is still largely unregulated, meaning that consumers need to exercise caution and take care when purchasing CBD products and organic hemp oil.
What is regulation?
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the government agency that protects the public health by regulating food, drugs, cosmetics, and dietary supplements.
When companies seek FDA approval, they must provide data from scientific studies that show their product is safe and effective for its intended use. The agency then reviews this data and decides whether to approve the product.
The FDA doesn't currently regulate CBD or organic hemp oil. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill, federally legalized hemp production and removed it from the Controlled Substances Act. However, hemp plants must contain less than 0.3% THC to be legal.
The FDA hasn't yet established formal regulations for CBD or organic hemp oil, although they have approved one CBD-based medication, Epidiolex, for treating some forms of severe childhood epilepsy. It's also issued dozens of warning letters to companies illegally selling illegal CBD products and making spurious claims about its effectiveness as a medication, but there are still no federal regulations.
Why do we need regulation?
Regulation means standards and safeguards that protect consumers from harmful or ineffective products.
Without regulation, unethical companies have free reign to sell subpar or dangerous products and make false claims about their efficacy. This puts consumers at risk and can undermine confidence in CBD and organic hemp oil.
Currently, it's challenging for consumers to know what they're getting when they purchase organic hemp oil or CBD. Research has found that a substantial number of CBD products are labeled inaccurately, which either risks a person taking unexpectedly high doses of CBD or wasting money on an ineffective product.
Another substantial concern is that studies have detected lead, mercury, and arsenic in edible CBD products. These toxic heavy metals can cause potentially fatal kidney damage, lung diseases, and other serious health problems. Also, nearly 60% of the items tested didn't contain the CBD levels they advertised.
It's too easy for consumers to use inferior products, see no benefits, or worse, experience negative side effects, and then become skeptical about the value of organic hemp oil. Not only does this harm individuals but also the hemp industry as a whole, and it could prevent the widespread adoption of this potentially life-changing substance.
What would regulation look like?
Formal regulation of the CBD industry would give the FDA more control over the manufacturing, labeling, and sale of organic hemp oil. It would also be able to crack down on unscrupulous companies making false claims about their defective products.
The CBD industry would be much better equipped to protect consumers and gain wider acceptance with regulation. In turn, this would help increase confidence in the organic hemp oil and its many potential benefits.
But, as we progress toward regulation, we need to solidify what this means for acceptable standards. At Nesas Hemp, we're passionate supporters of hemp medicine and believe in producing the purest, most effective, and safest products on the market.
To this end, we've implemented a signature standard for our CBDa oil — Beyond Organic, an industry-disrupting approach. Never satisfied with traditional organic certification standards, we exceed them in dozens of ways and offer the cleanest, safest, and most effective organic hemp oil on the market.
And yes, you read correctly. We produce CBDa oil, the original parent molecule of CBD. This exquisite living hemp compound encompasses and surpasses the benefits of CBD, and we believe it's the future of the hemp industry.
Nesas Hemp, our organic hemp oil, exceeds common standards. We ask that the industry follows suit with regulations and safeguards for consumers.